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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — to drill
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — in cards
  13. object — a thing
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com